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Exploring Forensic Science: Self-advocacy Activity
Use this CSI-related activity to help your students learn about self-advocacy!
Use this CSI-related activity to encourage students to self-advocate! Students often need training and prompting before they will advocate for their needs. In the CareerConnect article, Alexis Read’s Experience in Forensic Science, Alexis share’s her experience about attending the Phoenix Police Department’s CSI Experience. Alexis, who is visually impaired, shares her passion for forensic science, describes the various crime scene activities, and openly talks about her accommodation needs.
Teacher Hint: This is a great opportunity to discuss self-advocacy skills with your student! Share this fascinating article with your student and discuss what accommodations Alexis asked for and how those accommodations helped her during her training. Then, ask your student to create his/her own list of accommodations as if they were going to take this CSI Experience training or for an upcoming school related lab/activity.
Prior to the training, Alexis drew up a list of accommodations and contacted the staff.
Accommodation List
- Explained that she was visually impaired
- Requested that demonstrations be verbalized with clear directional words
- Requested an electronic copy of the PowerPoint Presentation
- Should have requested to touch items that were being shown visually!
Discussion Questions
- What worked well?
- What could have worked better?
- What techniques did Alexis used during the training? (Example: Clarification that she understood a concept, waiting for lull in conversation to request touching the Kevlar vest)
- What modifications would you need? (Example: PowerPoint with descriptions of images)
Follow Up Activities
Collaborate with your science teacher and language arts teachers!
- Find age appropriate crime scene ebooks
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Encourage your student to do an Internet search to find age-appropriate forensic science or CSI topics.
- For younger students, encourage the student to search for a specific topic, such as “finger prints”
- Read the Paths to Technology, Accessing Labs: Engineering Camp 2016 that includes self-advocacy
- Use a fingerprinting kit (kits are available for all ages; your school’s science department may already have a fingerprinting kit!)
- Forensics apps/websites appropriate for students, such as Crime Scene Activities, Books, and Investigations for Kids, Kidsahead Crime Scene Investigation Activities, Forensic Science for Kids on Pinterest
By Diane Brauner
